Shoe Diagram

Shoe Speak...

It has been brought to my attention that I use “shoe speak” when describing/reviewing shoes and that a diagram of a shoe with the relevant terms might be very useful. The diagram below uses an athletic shoe but all of the labeled parts of the shoe and terms are applicable to any style of footwear. A special thank you to San Luis Podiatry Group for this clear diagram.

http://slpg.addinteractivity.com/index.php?page=shoe-anatomy

Image credits San Luis Podiatry Group

Extend the Life of Your Shoes

Tips on Tuesdays:)

“Back in the day” folks used wooden shoe trees in their shoes.

Many think that shoe tree are simply for keeping the shape of the shoes nice but the main purpose is moisture absorption.

There was a time when folks had only one or two pairs of shoes and didn't have the luxury of switching out shoes to allow the shoes to dry out and recover.

Each foot sweats approximately ½ cup of moisture per foot per day and all that moisture will speed up the demise of your shoes.

The moisture and saltiness break down the linings of shoes which is why it is advisable to wear socks (or terry cloth liners...more on that in another post) with closed-in shoes.

These days hardly anyone uses wooden shoes trees (NEVER use plastic ones—they hold moisture against the linings) but there are a few simple things you can do to fight moisture if you don't have shoe trees.

When you take off any of your shoes that have removable insoles (like your running shoes) pull the insoles out to dry over night.

For shoes that don't have removable insoles put little packets of cheese cloth filled with dry rice or cedar chips to absorb moisture.

Also, simply rotating through your shoes allows them a day or two to dry.

If you actually have wooden shoe trees use them and remember to rough them up with sand paper when they start to look shiny and smooth as they are no longer soaking up moisture in this state.

The cedar shoe trees are the best...your shoes will smell nice and have the added benefit of keeping their shape nice. You can usually find them around Christmas time as they are considered a classic gift.

Love and Long Wearing Soles,

abigail dagmar

Must Have Monday! J.Rubio's

If your Monday needs a little spring in its step...check out these J. Rubio Sandals. 

As one friend put it..."It's like they are from the future dude!"

Cheers,

abigail dagmar

Re-Sole Time

The team at Independent Sole wishes you a happy friday.

We are gathering together like birds of a feather today to work on the finer points of this blog, goals and dreams we share.

They say life is all in the details and we are rolling up our sleeves and diving in today.  

Stay tuned...

abigail dagmar

Brand Loyalty not Blind Loyalty

Thoughtful Thursday :)

It makes sense to revisit and support brands that your feet love but be careful not to turn your brand loyalty into blind loyalty. Brands make many styles and not every style may be a great fit for you. A boot and a pump cannot be expected to fit the same.  Also, brands may change where the shoes are made, change the last on which the shoes are made and/or change the materials used to make the shoes and this my alter how the shoe works for your foot.

If you have normal feet you will find that they change in shape, length and/ or width over the course of time. This will certainly affect how your favorite brand may fit you. The most important thing to remember is to buy the best style for your foot at that particular point in time.

Love and Lots o' Shoes,

abigail dagmar